10 - The Swarm

5:15 am

     She left quietly in the early morning hour.  The air was crisp and
clear.  The smoke from the Turkish Gold danced in the slight wind,
moving in gentle spirals.  I inhaled deeply and washed her out of my
mind as she drove back to her apartment.
     The Angels came to me and with them they brought the gift of
relaxation.  The light of the sun brought them to my doorstep.  Her rays
were direct and deliberate.  The day was too young for the heat to be
unbearable and the recent cold spell led one to believe that summer was
never to come.
   
     The smoke moved differently.  It had become such a part of my
nocturnal being that it was now unfamiliar.  The sun betrayed it for
what it was, an escape.  This was my way of coping without coping, a
temporary distraction to ease the mind.
   
     As I watched the smoke dance in the sunlight, I noticed it was
joined by a partner.  The little yellow and white suitors moved in
unison with the grayish tension that I released through my lungs.
It had been years since my allergies kicked up so I had no fear of
vile sneezing attacks or heavily watered eyes.  I now took time to watch
the pollen like a small child enjoying it's carefree frolicking.
   
     The Angels seemed to pass deeper into my soul as the heat from the
heavens intensified.  The sun's full glory shone as she rose,
evaporating the morning dew and removing the darkness.  Even the shadows
could hide no secrets.
   
     I watched the ballet for a moment more and then retired the smoke to
the road.

7:30 am
   
     When I stepped to my car to get another cigarette I realized the
pollen had begun to swarm.  It was no longer the casual dance partner
smoothly executing a step-ball-change, but an aggressive suitor;
jealously believing it was entitled to more of my time.
   
     The day was gradually warming.  The Angels riding sunlight had
brought the temperature to 61º F already.  The tickle in the back of my
throat as I lit my cigarette was a shock.  This was always the first
sign of a nasty allergy attack.  I tried to laugh it off and light one
of my last three tobacco sticks.
   
     The wind blew and with her came a wall of pollen.  I inhaled deeply to
get that first drag of smoke and was bombarded with a shower of yellow
invaders.  The sneezing was uncontrollable.  The cigarette fell to the
ground and the sunlight caressed my back and bald head.  I wiped the
tears from my watering eyes and made it back into the comforts of my
apartment.
   
     I filled the cats bowl to the brim, I changed her litter, and gave
her two days of fresh water.  I called my mother and my sister to let
them know the situation.  The last time I had an allergy attack that
started like this I was in Germany.  The last thing I heard before I
passed out in Germany was "Nici, he stopped breathing.  I think he's dead!"